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Late Monday, the Ignatieff camp released the names of 46 Liberal MPs who are backing the frontrunner. It did not mention his support among senators, who tend to lean more towards Rae.

Ignatieff said in the email that he was "honoured by the incredible surge of support from all parts of our party."

And he tackled worries that being selected leader at Wednesday's caucus meeting would freeze out thousands of party members from the process. If successful this week, Ignatieff said he would ensure that his leadership is "confirmed" by the party at the May convention in Vancouver.

"Should I become leader I hope to immediately engage the grassroots in the very real policy challenges facing our country at a time of peril and in the party renewal challenges that all Liberals must face together. I will need the best from each and every one of us in this regard," he said.

Ignatieff’s supporters hope his installation as interim leader would put irresistible pressure on his one remaining leadership rival — Bob Rae — to bow out, although Rae could theoretically remain in the race until the May 2 leadership vote.

With Rae out, Ignatieff would become the de facto permanent leader whose acclamation would be formalized in Vancouver.

That scenario was spelled out Monday by LeBlanc.

“I would be very pleased if the caucus were to unite around Michael on Wednesday,” LeBlanc told a news conference.

While the national executive would normally rubber-stamp the decision of caucus, LeBlanc held out the possibility of the executive developing some sort of alternative process to allow party rank-and-file to “validate” the caucus choice.

Rae was giving no sign of giving up without a fight. He continued to insist that the party must find some expedited way to allow all members to choose the next leader before end of January.

“It’s better to have the party as a whole involved in finding a solution than it is having a solution imposed from above,” said Rae.

“I don’t think that coronations are generally very successful in political parties. I think most people believe that it’s better to have a contest, it’s better to have a choice.”

Rae charged that letting caucus alone determine the leader would be undemocratic and elitist, and would shut out party members in vast areas of the country that are not represented by Liberals in the House of Commons.

He got some support Monday from Toronto MP Gerard Kennedy, the kingmaker who helped secure the leadership for Dion in 2006. Kennedy, who endorsed Rae for the leadership this time, argued that a more inclusive process would confer more “legitimacy” on whomever wins.

Kennedy and other MPs said they’ve been hearing from angry Liberals who don’t want to be left out of the process. Insiders said national executive members were also deluged with missives from irate party members.

In response to one upset Liberal, party president Doug Ferguson promised: “I will stand up for our members on this issue.”

Sources said Ferguson and national party director Greg Fergus feverishly cobbled together four options for choosing the next leader, including two that would ensure broad grassroots participation. The proposals were be to presented late Monday to the full national executive. Liberal riding presidents were also to be consulted during a conference call Tuesday.

The proposals included:

— The Ignatieff camp’s preferred option of having the frontrunner effectively crowned at Wednesday’s caucus meeting and ratified by the national executive.

— Expanding the number of Liberals required to approve the caucus choice of interim leader to include riding presidents and defeated candidates, in addition to the national executive.

— Have caucus choose an interim leader Wednesday other than Ignatieff or Rae. Later this month or early January, allow every party member to vote by phone for a permanent leader, who would be officially ratified by delegates at the May convention.

— Move up the delegate selection meetings for the May convention, currently scheduled for early March, to early January. With only two contenders left in the race, the winner would be evident at this point, although formal ratification wouldn’t take place until May.

Dion’s departure throws into doubt the future of the coalition proposal he negotiated with the NDP. While Rae has championed the plan, Ignatieff has been lukewarm to the idea of forming a Liberal — NDP coalition cabinet propped up in the Commons by the separatist Bloc Quebecois. Ignatieff has suggested the Liberals should continue to use the threat of a coalition to wring concessions out of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but should wait to see the content of the budget before deciding whether to follow through.

In Ignatieff’s own words, his position amounts to “coalition if necessary but not necessarily coalition.”

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